Lee Min Woo wins Australian PGA Championship for third DP World Tour title

BRISBANE – Lee Min-woo held his own despite a shaky start on November 26, posting a 3-under 68 to win the Australian Professional Golf Championship with a three-stroke lead over Japan’s Rikuya Hoshino. He won his third DP World Tour title.

The 25-year-old Australian entered the final day at Brisbane’s Royal Queensland Golf Club with a three-point lead over Hoshino, sealing victory with a stunning chip-in eagle of five birdies and four bogeys.

He posted a 20-under card for this tournament, building on his success in 2023 when he won the Asian Tour’s Macau Open in October and qualified for the US PGA Tour in 2024.

But another victory on his DP World Tour has eluded him so far, with his first European victory at the 2020 Vic Open followed by the title at the 2021 Scottish Open.

“I can’t believe it. I always believed I could win, but it took me a while to get over the hump,” said Lee, whose sister Lee Min-jae is ranked fifth in the women’s world.

“But I’ve gotten two wins in the past month or so, so I’m really proud of the team and myself. We made it interesting in the beginning and middle, but we held on in the end,” said the 2024 DP World Tour opener. Lee added after the victory.

Six-time Japan Tour winner Hoshino put up a brave fight in his first tournament in Australia, taking a three-stroke lead overnight from Lee by the second hole.

But he couldn’t maintain his momentum and shot a 68 for a perfect 2 on the day Joaquín Niemann, a Chilean playing on the Saudi-backed LIV Golf Tour, recorded a hole-in-one on the par-3 fourth.

On November 24th, Australia’s Curtis Luck became the second ace in the tournament, having achieved the feat on the 17th.

Niemann carded a 67 and finished in fifth place, two strokes behind Luck in fourth place. Fellow LIV golfer Mark Leishman took third place with a 64, his best of the day, four strokes behind Lee.

Defending champion and one of the stars of LIV Golf, Cameron Smith, did not compete.

Lee, who had been suffering from early nerves, overcame his early approach and opened the match with a bogey and then a par, while his confident playing partner Hoshino made consecutive birdies and took the Australian team’s three points.
The batting gap has narrowed overnight.

However, Lee remained determined and with Hoshino’s aggressive drive that included two birdies and one bogey, he regained a three-stroke lead in the sixth round.

A long-range eagle on the par-5 ninth hole gave a celebratory Lee a four-stroke cushion and was greeted with applause from the large crowd.